# Literary characters who come to symbolize the opposite of how they were portrayed. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304 "2010-06-24T01:52:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304/221 "2010-07-18T23:12:52Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > As my pastor once pointed out, the individual (a Jewish “lawyer” who asked “who is my neighbour?”) Jesus was directing the story at couldn’t even bring himself to say it: > > **Luke 10:36-37** > [Jesus asked,] Which now of these three [a Jewish priest, a Levite, or the Samaritan], thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And [the lawyer] said, He that shewed mercy on him. > > “He that showed mercy on him”, rather than “the Samaritan”. > > I read an interview with some famous supermodel from an Eastern European country (don’t recall her name now) who said her brother’s name is Zoltan. She said she was very surprised when she came to America to learn that the name “Zoltan” is considered a “funny” name, most suitable for characters like … comedic space aliens. She said that back in her country, it’s considered a very masculine-sounding name. > > As to the OP: > > I nominate Dick. Dick started out as the hero of many beloved children’s books. Now, his name is invoked to describe somebody who’s being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk 😃 Isn’t Zoltan a form of the word Sultan? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304/222 "2010-07-18T23:26:51Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > I don’t know if Scarlett is seen as an airhead, at least by people who’ve actually seen the movie and/or read the book. She’s vain and materialistic, but not vacuous. I think she’s seen as cunning and manipulative, which she is, and that’s a different thing from being an airhead. > > Of course she is pretty dopey about the whole Ashley thing… I think the movie plays up the whole “pampered southern belle” aspect of Scarlett and extends the antebellum naif she was into and long after the war. Even after the famous “I’ll never go hungry again” speech, the movie makes it look like Scarlett still doesn’t realize just how “gone with the wind” the entire basis of southern life was. That she regards the war, Emancipation and Reconstruction as mere speed bumps in the way of getting back to the genteel life of balls and gowns. Given how unrealistic that is, it’s no wonder the movie makes her look like an airhead. The book was more explicit about just how disillusioned she became and how cynically ruthless she was in doing whatever it took to become financially secure. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304/223 "2010-07-19T00:46:09Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Isn’t Zoltan a form of the word Sultan? Beats me. ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304/224 "2010-07-20T00:17:43Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > I don’t know if Scarlett is seen as an airhead, at least by people who’ve actually seen the movie and/or read the book. She’s vain and materialistic, but not vacuous. I think she’s seen as cunning and manipulative, which she is, and that’s a different thing from being an airhead. > > Of course she is pretty dopey about the whole Ashley thing… As I said, I had never heard her described that way. And people can dispay one-track minds about certain things without being generally labeled as dumb. > [@Lumpy](#): > > I think the movie plays up the whole “pampered southern belle” aspect of Scarlett and extends the antebellum naif she was into and long after the war. Even after the famous “I’ll never go hungry again” speech, the movie makes it look like Scarlett still doesn’t realize just how “gone with the wind” the entire basis of southern life was. That she regards the war, Emancipation and Reconstruction as mere speed bumps in the way of getting back to the genteel life of balls and gowns. Given how unrealistic that is, it’s no wonder the movie makes her look like an airhead. The book was more explicit about just how disillusioned she became and how cynically ruthless she was in doing whatever it took to become financially secure. Good point. Now I really want to read the book. * * * I had a thought about the little daughter. It suddenly seems bizarre that Rhett in particular would be blasé about spoiler her rotten. He certainly seems both smart and rational enough to see where it will lead. Both he and Scarlett have first-hand experience of how many loops life can throw at you, and how severe some of them can be. Of course emotions are tremendously strong here – it’s his daughter, after all. But Rhett has lived by his smarts, and doesn’t seem to have the problem with blind stubbornness Scarlett has. (Except regarding the subject of Scarlett.) ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304/225 "2010-07-20T00:33:17Z")
Rhett isn’t that sensible when it comes to the fair sex. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304/226 "2010-07-20T02:32:43Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Rhett isn’t that sensible when it comes to the fair sex. Who is? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literary-characters-who-come-to-symbolize-the-opposite-of-how-they-were-portrayed/544304.md?page=11)